Today a number of electronic devices exist which are sensitive to static electricity. Microcircuit devices such as integrated circuit chips, for example, may be damaged by electrostatic discharge prior to their incorporation into electrical or eectronic equipmet.
In order to prevent electrostatic breakdowns magazines, in which such devices are stored, have been provided with means for short-circuiting the device terminals or pins during storage. This short-circuiting serves to prevent the accumulation of potentially damaging static charges. As exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,049 some of these magazine have taken the form of elongated cases made of metal or conductive resins. They often have a series of conductive slots or grooves into which a number of static electricity sensitive devices may be serially inserted and later serially dispensed to manufacturing equipment. Other magazines have been developed for portable field use as in the device replacement market. These have taken the form of small, box-like magazines that house conductive sponge sheets into which the device terminals may be temporarily embedded. The present invention relates more closely to this latter type of magazine.
For the storage and transportation to field use of such devices their magazine should possess several characteristics or capabilities some of which are quite different from features of magazines associated with manufacturing equipment. For example, besides possessing the ability to inhibit electrostatic charge buildup they should also provide protection from mechanical shock and vibration. Furthermore, they should be of light weight construction and easy to use in gaining and restricting access. Another desirable feature is the capability of storing static sensitive devices of difference sizes and shapes without an attendant size change in the magazines themselves. Reuseability and tamper security are still other desirable qualities. And, as ever, cost economy is also important.
Unfortunately, magazines of the prior art for the storage and transport of static electricity sensitive devised to field use have been lacking in a number of the just described traits. This may be attributable to the fact that the majority have been specifically designed for on-line use in the manufacture of electronic equipment and systems. Usually they, as would be expected, actually guard against universality in order to avoid error. This is to say that they often insure that only one type or size device may be inserted and stored in order to prevent an incorrect device from being incorporated into electronic equipment. Usually they are relatively heavy and, being equiped with attachment means, are also bulky. On the other hand those magazines that have heretofore been constructed with field use in mind, though lighter and smaller, have still not possessed sufficient lightness in weight. Most have also been incapable of efficiently housing devices of different sizes and shapes. Secure identification of several items packaged in one unit, accompanied by individual access capability, has also been lacking.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved magazine for static electricity sensitive devices.
More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a magazine for shipping and storing static electricity sensitive devices.
Another object of the invention is to provide a magazine of the type described of simple, light weight and economic construction.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a magazine of the type described that is capable of efficiently housing devices of different sizes and shapes.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a magazine of the type described in which several devices may be stored yet individually identified, secured and later removed.